Brick-kiln



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen' 1..

W. RADFORD.

BRICK KILN.

Patented Aug. 2, 189.2.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 2.

W. RADPORD.

BRICK KILN. l

No. 480,134. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

x-PFQL UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM RADFORD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BRICK-KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,134, dated August 2, 1892.

Application iled February 20, 1891. Serial No. 382,246. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RADEOED, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvementin Brick-Kilns; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in brick and other kilns for similar purposes in which there are a number of adjoining chambers adapted to communicate With each other through suitable doors or openings and also communicating with a common flue; and it consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section on line Z Z of Fig. 4. Fig. 2is a vertical section on line W W of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line Y Y of Fig. l.

In a former patent issued to me, August 3l, 1886, No. 348,413, I have shown a perpetual kiln, consisting ofv a series of communicating chambers surrounding a central chimney and having iiues connecting with said chimney, with means for cutting off or uniting any two or more of the chambers, so that the burning may be carried on continuously in a certain number of the chambers, fresh chambers being added from time to time and others being cut off as the work is completed Within them.

In my present invention I have made improvements in the arrangement of communicating passages, dampers or grates for cutting off or opening said passages, Ventilating-openings, &c., which I will now proceed to more fully describe.

A A A are a series of chambers, of which there may be as many as is found desirable in a single kiln. These chambers usually range from eight or ten upward. In the present case I have shown them arranged in parallel lines upon each side and across the ends of a central iue or passage B, which communicates with a chimney C, and each of the side chambers has an opening D in the lower part, which communicates with a short upwardlyprojecting Iiue or passage E, and

l through this opens into the passage B and thence to the chimney C. These upwardlyprojecting lines or passages E are each provided With a cap or cover F, and a'chain or rod G extends upwardly from each of these caps through the roof or top of the kiln and is there provided with a suitable connection, so that these caps may be lifted off to open the passages when it is desired to produce a draft through any one or more of the charnbers and are lowered to close these passages when it is desired to close the draft.

For the side chambers it will be seen that the passages D open directly from the bottom of the chambers into the vertical tlues E; but the end chambers A are arranged somewhat diiferently, the openings D in these chambers leading directly into chambers II, which are built in the outer end walls ofthe kiln. These chambers H communicate with horizontal flues I, which pass beneath the floor and under the chambers A, thence leading into the vertical lues or passages E these passages corresponding with the lues E, previously Vdescribed, and having similar caps or dampers by which they may be opened or closed.

Between all the chambers A A and A are a series of openings K, leading through the walls or partitions between the chambers, these passages being arranged in series from the inner wall adjacent to the passage B toward the outer wall of the kiln and increasing in size from the inner to the outer wall to equalize the heat throughout the chambers. In the present case I have shown these passages as extending from the bottom to very nearly the top of the arches of the chambers, and they are controlled by dampers L, which slide in properly-arranged channels or guides on each side of the openings K and are controlled from the top of the kiln, so that any one or more of the passages K in each series may be cut off by raising or lowering the damper, and the draft may take place through the lower, the central, or the upper passages and the heat thus directed through any portion of the chamber, thus burning the bricks evenly throughout the Whole chamber. Between the passages -K and near the tops of the chambers other openings K are made, which remain open, so that a certain amount of draft is al- ICO ways kept up independent of the opening or closing of the passages K. This construction counteracts the tendency of the draft and heat toward the bottom of the chambers.

Upon the top of the kiln are arranged the usual openings, through which fuel may be introduced from time to time, these openings having covers by which they may be closed, as shown at M.

In order to introduce air into such other portions of the chambers as may be desired, I have shown fines or passages N. These passages lead vertically down through the walls between the chambers A and into the horizontal passages O beneath the floors of the chambers. Through these horizontal passages the air passes into the short vertical passages O and is thence delivered through the door of the chamber at any desired point where it is necessary to supply fresh air for a more complete combustion at that point.

Passages N lead from the vertical passages N directly intothe chambers near the bottom to admit air at these points when the passages N are open, and when they are closed the air will flow through the passages O O. Vithin the vertical passages N are fitted the sliding tubes P, each having upon the top a bonnet and vane, as shown at P', which turns so as to allow the air to pass into these vertical passages whenever there is any wind, the vanes facing the pipes in the proper drect-ion in the usual manner for such devices. These pipes are held in place by any convenent` clamp or holding device, as shown at Q, and whe-n they are lowered into the passages N the air will pass through the bonnets P and through the pipes and passages, as before described. By sliding these pipes down until the lower ends are below the passages N they serve as dampers to cut off the iiow of air through these passages and direct it into the passages O.

R R are passages extending transversely through the walls between the chambers andl communicating with the vertical passages N. These horizontal passages R have valves or dampers S at their outer ends, by which they may be closed or opened.

The operation of my kiln is as follows: Vhen the kiln is running, there are four chambers in operation at one time, one chamber being in full heat and the bricks nearly finished, the next adjacent one being partially baked, the third one, in which the moisture and steam from the fresh material has been. nearly evaporated, this being called watersmoke in technical terms, and the fourth one, into which the heat is beginning to pass for the purpose of driving off this steam or so-called water-smoke. The dampers L are closed beyond the fourth or last of these chambers, so that no draft can take place from this fourth chamber into the nextY one. The damper S of the passage R, which passes transversely through the intervening walls between the third and fourth chambers, is removed, and as this passage passes through al1 of the vertical passages which extend upward through the horizontal passages K to the top of the kiln it will be manifest that the vapors driven oft' by the heat passing into the fourth chamber will pass through the passages K and thence into the passage R, through which they escape. These vapors, which are driven off nearer the bottom of the kiln, will in the same manner pass outward through the openings D and passages E, from which the caps `or dampers F have been removed. While this operation is taking place the tubes P are removed from the vertical passages N, which passages are intermediate between the passages K, and the tops of the passages N are temporarily closed, so4 as not to interfere with the draft through the passage R. The heated air from the third chamber, passing through l the passages K into the fourth chamber, grad ually heat up this chamber and drive off the vapors or water-smoke until the bricks are sufficiently dry for the actual application of fuel to bake them. This work is pretty thory oughly completed in the third chamberwhen the fourth chamber is opened,and the damper S of the passage R in the wall between the third and fourth chambers may then be closed.

The same passage is also closed between the first and second chambers. The passages D E are also closed in these latter chambers, so that f the heat from the first passes into the. second chamber and from the second chamber into the third, and thence into the fourth through the direct openings K, above described. The

, heated air thus passing through these chambers,whieh is necessary to gradually raise the temperature of the bricks to the baking or burning point, cannot now escape through the 1 passages R between the first and second and 4isecond and third chambers, because these passages have been closed, not being necessary for the further escape of the water-vapors.

The tubes P are now introduced into the pas- 1 sages N, the tops of which are opened for the l purpose, and as they cross the passagesR the air will pass down these tubes P and the passages N, passing out through theopenings N at the bottom of the passages N and into the :sides of the chambers A.

The air which passes down through these-passages becomes heated, both by reason of the heated condition of the passagesR, acrosswhich they pass,

1 and the heat of the Walls within which they are located, so that by the time the air is delivered through the passages N it is heated to such an extent, that it will not injuriously :affect the bricks by its contact with them, i while it supplies a fresh amount of oxygen for the combustion of the fuel, the latter being introduced, as before described, through 1 the feed-holes by removing the caps M, with which they are covered.

Vhenever it is de- IOO IIO

thus deliver the air directly into the passages 0 and O', which enables me to deliver the air at any points desired near the center of the chambers. The chambers A' at the ends of the kiln form the turning-point Where the heat passes around from one side to the other, and in order to prevent the heat taking the shortest course through the openings K, which are nearest to the inner wall, I have made the passages H in the outer wall, and the openings D lead into these passages, so that when the first of the chambers A' is reached and the dampers opened and heat admitted to drive off the water-vapors of this chamber the heat will pass directly through the chamber A' toward the outer wall and the passage H, taking the same general direction which it has while passing from one side chamber to another, instead of passing through the intermediate wall into the second chamber A by the shortest route. The dampers L of the passages K between these chambers are closed at this stage the same as described. This will be well understood by reference to Fig.1,which shows the relative position of the chambers A and A', and it causes the heat to pass entirely across the chamber A', and it will first dry and afterward burn the bricks in that chamber equally well at the outer end as with the central and inner portions. From this it will be seen that when the passages R are opened and connected through the passages K with a chamber of the kiln the pipes P are withdrawn from the passages N and these passages are temporarily closed at the top, so that all vapors escaping from the chamber will pass through the horizontal passage R and through the damper S; but when the water-vapors have been driven off and directheat is applied bythe introduction of the fuel the passage R will be closed and the passages N opened forthe direct introduction of air from the top of the kiln to the bottom to aid in combustion and to regulate the heat which is applied to the bricks in the lower part of the chambers and prevent their being fused and spoiled. In this manner the draft may be regulated at all times to suit the convenience of the operator and it may be directed to any portion of the burning-chambers, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a brick-kiln, a series of independent adjacentchambers with interveningwalls having the vertical passagesN made in them,the passages N', opening from the passagesN into the sides of the chambers near the bottom, and the passages O O', leading beneath the Hoor from the passages N tothe central portions of the chambers, in combination with the air-supply tubes P,`adjustable within the passages N, through which air is admitted, substantially as herein described.

- 2. In a brick-kiln, a series of independent adjacent chambers with intervening walls, vertical passagesN within said walls, passages N' and O O', connecting the vertical passages with the sides and centers of the chambers,pas sages K between the chambers with vertical connections and dampers, and horizontal passages R, intersecting thevertical passages near theirupper ends and havingcontrolling-dampers S at their inner'ends, whereby they may be used for draft purposes to discharge the water vapors and smoke during the first part of the operation and-be closed when the'passages N are in use for direct draft, substantially as herein described.v 3. In a brick-kiln, a series of independent adjacent chambers with intervening walls, passages K K', connecting the chambers, and dampers by which they are opened or closed, and horizontal passages R inthe upper parts of 'the walls, having a damper or cap S and communicating through its passages K with the chambers, substantially as herein described.

4t. In a brick-kiln, a series of -independent adjacent chambers with intervening walls, passages K K' through the walls, and damp'- ers L, by which they are closed, transverse passages R in the upper parts 'of the walls, dampersby which they may be opened or closed, vertical passages N in the walls, located between the passages K and communicating with the sides and central portions of the chamber-floors through the passages N' and O O', and means for closing these passages, whereby a draft through the passage R is induced when it is open for the escape of vapor and an inward draft of air through the passage N when it is open and the passage R is closed, substantially as herein described.

5. In a brick-kiln, a series of independent adjacent chambers A, parallel with and upon opposite sides of a central chamber, which communicates with a common chimney, and chambers A', situated exterior to the ends of the chamber B, passages H inthe outerwalls of the chambers A', with openings leading into them from the chambers, and passages I beneath the floors of the chambers, connecting the passages" H with the central chamber B, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

. WILLIAM RADFORD.

Viitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, J. A. BAYLEss.

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